My View: New animal control facility would be asset to Boone County

The Boone County Health and Human Services Committee voted July 31 to recommend to the County Board of the Whole, a motion to approve building a new animal control facility. Based on the inadequate state of the existing building, which was never intended for its present use, that recommendation was totally appropriate.

The architect’s estimate for repairs to the existing building was in the range of $500,000. That is $500,000 put into a rat hole. Compared to the $700,000 estimated cost of a brand new facility, which would be designed for the purpose it would serve, it is an excellent recommendation.

The new facility would be a great asset to this community. It would be a building designed to take care of cats as well as dogs and provide a safe, healthy environment for the county employees to work in and the general public to visit. The current building has little regard for health and safety of animals or employees. It sorely lacks adequate fire egress and provides very little for general sanitation. The present building is little more than a place for animals to be put to sleep and disposed of. The location of the current facility makes it difficult to find.

Many citizens of this community have pets. Often they are treated as members of the family and in most cases are loved and cared for. The State mandates that the county provide an animal service for those pets that are lost, neglected, discarded or abandoned. Let’s make a new facility something the community can be proud of. I would propose that given an adequate building, a volunteer auxiliary could be formed to help support it and provide volunteers to help county staff operate and provide extra funds. Winnebago County Animal Control is an example of this public/ private partnership.

If you believe in the ethical treatment of animals, please attend the next Finance Committee meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday at 1212 Logan Ave., Belvidere, or the next Boone County Board meeting 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at 1212 Logan Ave., Belvidere, or call a board member to express your opinion. Please check out Citizens Coalition for the Animals of Boone County on Facebook for more information.